Corporate Advocacy Program: The best way to manage and repair your business reputation. Hiding negative complaints is only a Band-Aid. Consumers want to see how businesses take care of business. All businesses will get complaints. How those businesses take care of those complaints is what separates good businesses from bad businesses.

We took our cars to WalMart Tire and Lube Express for the first time in March of 2003. We liked the sevice and took our 1991 Toyota Previa van for another oil change on 8/4/03. We were aware it had been awhile since it was changed.

The car had been there awhile and I went back to see what was taking so long.I was told someone would tell mme after they filed the claim.I waited and was told that at my last oil change, someone had stripped the oilpan screw and put in something called a helacoil to hold the screw in. I said you did the last oil chang and they said yes, we know.

I was taken to get a rental car and told it would probably be a week to replace the oilpan. The next day an adjuster from WalMart's Claims Management - they have their own claims service called and said to take the rental back they were not paying for the claim because it had been too long between oil changes and we must have had the oil changed somewhere else in the mean time. Also their seal was not on the oilpan screw on the bottom.

We pointed out that their seal was on the filter and their the oil change sticker with their name was on the window.They acknowledged that that was the case, but they still were not paying the claim because of how long it had been between oil changes- someone else must have tried to cahange the oil and botched it and blamed WalMart.

I said who woulld change the oil and not the filter or the sticker. They had no answer.

We filed a complaint with the PA Insurance Dept. They looked into the matter and we were told that WalMart is a self-insured entity and Claims Management, Inc. is a claims administrator owned by WalMart. The Pa Insurance Dept. doesn't extend to self-insured entities only with insurance companies licenced to do business with the Commonwealth of PA.

The expense is large to have this fixed. We were hoping to keep the van till our son gets ut of college to help him move in and out of the dorm. It is very much a hardship financially. We have spend hundreds of dollars a month at WalMart but are now trying to go other places as much as possible.

Corporate Advocacy Program: The best way to manage and repair your business reputation. Hiding negative complaints is only a Band-Aid. Consumers want to see how businesses take care of business. All businesses will get complaints. How those businesses take care of those complaints is what separates good businesses from bad businesses.

AUTHOR: Mechanicgtr - (U.S.A.)

SUBMITTED: Tuesday, April 14, 2009

POSTED: Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Helicoil on an oil pan? I think not. Call a shop and ask if they will do it, and when they say no, ask why not.

Unfortunately Lisa, you aren't alone in your complaint against WalMat TLE. I say stick to your guns. What you need to do is file a comlaint with the BBB and the Attorney Generals office, possibly the Chamber of Commerce for your area if there is one. Speak to not only their claims department but get in touchw ith the reginal manager and call them EVERY DAY. It may be word against word, but the fact that you are the customer also carries weight. They should have to prove that the lack of oil change caused the damage, which they can;t. Good luck!

AUTHOR: Steve - (U.S.A.)

First of all, I cannot see why you would be hitting a thread here on ROR that is over 2.5 years dormant. Are you hitting every TLE thread?

Second, you are DEAD WRONG on the oil change interval thing. That 3mo/3000 mile oil change interval thing is pure BS. That is promoted by oil companies as they want to sell more oil.

Oil change intervals should ONLY be determined by driving contions and environmental conditions.

The bottom line here is that Wally world monkeys did damage to this person's car, and now is doing everything they can to get out from under the responsibility of fixing THEIR ERROR.

This customer should have been told on the first oil change that they damaged her car and installed a helicoil. But no, they were sneaky and dishonest and hid that fact.

People work at Walmart TLE because they know nothing and cannot get a job anywhere else. You fit right in at TLE as you have absolutely no idea of what you are talking about.

Robert wrote>>
"John is right!
I also work at a Tire and Lube Express. I work at the one in Indianapolis, Indiana and everything John has said is right for the most part. If there is no torque seal on the drain plug and you go in and have it checked out and there is no torque seal which looks like a blue substance, they will not repair the work due to the seal being broken. Also as John stated, if it is out of the 3,000 mile or 3 month range, they will not warranty any of the work that they did, because of the maintence schedule.

As far as the one who thinks you can go to 7,500 miles on oil for a year, that is funny. You can only do that if you are running an oil that is approved for that or higher, normally Synthetic oils can do that. A prime example is what I use, the Mobil 1 Extended Performance motor oil. That oil is rated to 15,000 miles and it is also warranited. The main problem is that most people just buy an average oil filter and think they can go 15,000 miles with out changing their oil, which they are right to a degree, but you do have to change your oil filter as almost all of them are rated at 3,000 miles. I do run the Fram Extended Guard filter and that one is rated for 7,000 miles. So, I can really only do 2 filter changes a year with the way that is.

My guess being an old vehicle, I bet she got the Value package which is the one that checks all your fluids, has your vehicle vacuumed, and all that jazz. That would mean she got regular conventional oil and that pretty much applies to the rule of thumb meaning 3,000 miles or 3 months. By the way, it really is what most car companies are recommending. Most go by the oil light now, but I think she said her vehicle is a 1991 Toyota Van, which means that is 3,000 miles or 3 months."
>>>

AUTHOR: Robert - (U.S.A.)

SUBMITTED: Friday, December 28, 2007

POSTED: Friday, December 28, 2007

I also work at a Tire and Lube Express. I work at the one in Indianapolis, Indiana and everything John has said is right for the most part. If there is no torque seal on the drain plug and you go in and have it checked out and there is no torque seal which looks like a blue substance, they will not repair the work due to the seal being broken. Also as John stated, if it is out of the 3,000 mile or 3 month range, they will not warranty any of the work that they did, because of the maintence schedule.

As far as the one who thinks you can go to 7,500 miles on oil for a year, that is funny. You can only do that if you are running an oil that is approved for that or higher, normally Synthetic oils can do that. A prime example is what I use, the Mobil 1 Extended Performance motor oil. That oil is rated to 15,000 miles and it is also warranited. The main problem is that most people just buy an average oil filter and think they can go 15,000 miles with out changing their oil, which they are right to a degree, but you do have to change your oil filter as almost all of them are rated at 3,000 miles. I do run the Fram Extended Guard filter and that one is rated for 7,000 miles. So, I can really only do 2 filter changes a year with the way that is.

My guess being an old vehicle, I bet she got the Value package which is the one that checks all your fluids, has your vehicle vacuumed, and all that jazz. That would mean she got regular conventional oil and that pretty much applies to the rule of thumb meaning 3,000 miles or 3 months. By the way, it really is what most car companies are recommending. Most go by the oil light now, but I think she said her vehicle is a 1991 Toyota Van, which means that is 3,000 miles or 3 months.

I am not here to defend Wal-Mart entirely, but I am here to give you information as to why you were denied any kind of resolution for your problem. As John stated, I have told many people that we will not warranty any of the problems due to it being out of the range that most car companies recommend. Most also get pissed off and cuse me out and think I am the devil, but they just don't relize they are the one who has the messed up vehicle because of their poor mis-management of their vehicle.

The one who also said one of the reasons to stay away because they use the wrong oil, that happens sometimes, but rarely. They don't do it on purpose, unless you piss off the guy that happens to work on your vehicle, because you are the one being an a*s, but it happens normally by mistake. The person who writes you up, puts you down as wanting Valvoline Maxlife 5w30 and you stated that you wanted Valvoline Maxlife 5w30 Synthetic. If she does not hear you or you got some sort of "special" service writer, then the tech will put in what is down on the computer. What generally happens after that is, we have people like you down our throats for something we did not have any control over and then you look like a a*s on the internet by posting all places like these suck, because YOU took your care to get service by us! Next time you think about changing your oil, maybe you should do us all a favor and change it yourself, we all at Wal-Mart surely don't want people like you to come and get service from us!

AUTHOR: Jim - (U.S.A.)

SUBMITTED: Wednesday, May 04, 2005

POSTED: Wednesday, May 04, 2005

I'm a Master Mechanic, I have no connection to Wally World.

I don't quite understand the difficulty here, a Helicoil is a hardened metal thread insert, and is a perfectly good thread repair, in fact aircraft engines use them as standard from the factory on new equipment.

If you had a stripped plug, they replace the plug, if they have a stripped hole in the pan then you use a special tap (Thread cutter) and install a helicoil.

AUTHOR: J Cory - (U.S.A.)

SUBMITTED: Monday, May 02, 2005

POSTED: Monday, May 02, 2005

John, you say manufactures say to change the oil every 3000 miles or 3 months, this is untrue it could be 7500 miles or even longer depending on the kind of driving you do, oil being used and where you live. You try to be a sly dog and you will be caught. You say you are a certified mechanic, very doubtful or dumb if making those type of remarks, I'll hold my judgement. What if the vehicle just sits for a year only driven from and to Walmart, what say you then John? If you people messed up admit it, step up to the plate and take responsibility, John! Don't be throwing out acusations, John.

AUTHOR: James - (Singapore)

SUBMITTED: Monday, May 02, 2005

POSTED: Monday, May 02, 2005

First, they demand you change your oil at their interval so they can charge you.
Second, helicoil installation takes about 30 minutes and you do not need a new oil pan.
Third, NEVER,NEVER, take your car to these kinds of places, they are all the same, I recommend the dealer or a local shop, you'll get better treatment.
Fourth, Demand to see your old parts.
Fifth, It is well known fact that these oufits use factory seconds and in many cases you pay for
CASTROL GTX but they have put Quaker state in your car.

AUTHOR: James - (Singapore)

SUBMITTED: Monday, May 02, 2005

POSTED: Monday, May 02, 2005

First, they demand you change your oil at their interval so they can charge you.
Second, helicoil installation takes about 30 minutes and you do not need a new oil pan.
Third, NEVER,NEVER, take your car to these kinds of places, they are all the same, I recommend the dealer or a local shop, you'll get better treatment.
Fourth, Demand to see your old parts.
Fifth, It is well known fact that these oufits use factory seconds and in many cases you pay for
CASTROL GTX but they have put Quaker state in your car.

AUTHOR: James - (Singapore)

SUBMITTED: Monday, May 02, 2005

POSTED: Monday, May 02, 2005

First, they demand you change your oil at their interval so they can charge you.
Second, helicoil installation takes about 30 minutes and you do not need a new oil pan.
Third, NEVER,NEVER, take your car to these kinds of places, they are all the same, I recommend the dealer or a local shop, you'll get better treatment.
Fourth, Demand to see your old parts.
Fifth, It is well known fact that these oufits use factory seconds and in many cases you pay for
CASTROL GTX but they have put Quaker state in your car.

AUTHOR: John - (U.S.A.)

SUBMITTED: Monday, September 06, 2004

POSTED: Monday, September 06, 2004

First off, you stated:

It's interesting that WalMart didn't put their statement in writing about the 'seal' on the oilpan plug or that 'someone else' changed the oil. Personally, I've never heard of anyone using a special 'seal' on the plug. How did they determine what 'too long' is between oil changes? Normally when a legitimate insurance company denies a claim they put the reason(s) in writing. I'd be very suspicious here.

Wal-Mart uses a special sealant, to be placed around the exterior of the oil plug, and the lip of the oil filter. This seal provides two things: 1, it helps prevent slippage of the plug/filter due to vibrations from the engine. And 2, it verifies that the system has not been tampered with since the last oil change.

Secondly, You ask how they knew it had been too long since the last oil change. Wal-Mart keeps a very large database of customers, and work performed on their vehicles. According to vehicle manufacturers you are supposed to have your oil changed every 3 months or 3000 miles. If it has been more than that length of time, your warranty is considered void due to failure to maintain your vehicle properly. As an employee for Wal-Mart Tire & Lube Express, I have had customers come in with OVER 10,000 miles and more than 8 months on their car since their last oil change. And myself have had to tell them, that there is nothing we can do for them, because Wal-Mart has no way of knowing if someoen else has done maintenance on the vehicle in the interim. Without the correct sealant, and having had this much time elapsed between services, there is nothing you can do. You should take better care of your vehicle.

AUTHOR: John - (U.S.A.)

SUBMITTED: Saturday, January 17, 2004

POSTED: Saturday, January 17, 2004

It's interesting that WalMart didn't put their statement in writing about the 'seal' on the oilpan plug or that 'someone else' changed the oil. Personally, I've never heard of anyone using a special 'seal' on the plug. How did they determine what 'too long' is between oil changes? Normally when a legitimate insurance company denies a claim they put the reason(s) in writing. I'd be very suspicious here.

Call them back and ask for it in writing. If they refuse you may have a good case of criminal fraud. They are just intentionally covering up a botched repair job. That establishes malice and intent.

File a complaint with the better business bureau. It may not get them to do the right thing but it will leave a record that will catch them if this happens to someone else in the future. Do not allow the record to be closed as 'satisfied' until your damage is fixed.

Also, contact your auto insurance company for advice. After all that's what you pay them for. Cetainly they've dealt with WalMart or similar situations like yours before.

Corporate Advocacy Program: The best way to manage and repair your business reputation. Hiding negative complaints is only a Band-Aid. Consumers want to see how businesses take care of business. All businesses will get complaints. How those businesses take care of those complaints is what separates good businesses from bad businesses.